Despite Earthquake Rumors, Korean and Chinese Tourists Continue to Visit Japan

Despite the spread of rumors about a major earthquake in Japan, the number of Korean and Chinese visitors to Japan continues to rise.

The streets of Shin-Okubo in Tokyo, Japan, are bustling with crowds. Photo by Yonhap News

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) announced on the 16th that the number of foreign visitors to Japan last month was provisionally counted at 3,377,800. This represents a 7.6% increase compared to the same month last year.

By country and region, Chinese visitors accounted for the largest number. Last month, 797,900 Chinese tourists visited Japan, marking a 19.9% increase from the previous year. Koreans followed, with 729,800 visitors, up 3.8% year-on-year.

Currently, rumors are circulating on social networking services (SNS) and other platforms that a major earthquake could occur in Japan this month. In Hong Kong, where these earthquake rumors have spread widely, the number of visitors to Japan dropped to 166,800, a decrease of 33.5% compared to the same month last year. As a result, some airlines in Hong Kong have reduced or suspended flights to Japan.

The number of visitors to Japan has been steadily increasing. In the first half of this year, the number of visitors reached 21,518,000, surpassing 20 million for the first time ever. By country and region in the first half, Koreans ranked first with 4,783,000 visitors, followed by Chinese with 4,718,000, Taiwanese with 3,284,000, and Hong Kongers with 1,271,000.